


Dreamland II

by scullywolf



Series: TXF: Scenes in Between [123]
Category: The X-Files
Genre: Banter, F/M, Gen, MSR, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-08
Updated: 2016-02-08
Packaged: 2018-05-19 04:10:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5953132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scullywolf/pseuds/scullywolf





	Dreamland II

_“Mulder? Is that really you?”_  
_“What are you doing here?”_  
_“I’m trying to figure out a way to help you.”_

He’d been so angry, not 24 hours earlier, when he was hauled off in cuffs under Scully’s pitying gaze and Fletcher’s smug one. How could she _ever_ believe him capable of callously burning a source like that? He’d stewed in the jail cell, trying to ignore Maverick’s ramblings and thinking about the last time Scully had failed to recognize that someone _else_ was walking around wearing his face.

All of that anger and frustration had evaporated the moment she’d said his name; it was a profound relief to have her finally acknowledge the truth of what had happened to him, and for several long moments he just looked at her, gratefully. It quickly became clear, however, that she was consciously trying not to squirm under the intent gaze of an apparent stranger, and he gave a half-smile before turning his attention out the front window and taking the pressure off her.

“God, this is weird,” she muttered under her breath.

He snorted. “Tell me about it.”

Looking over, he saw her studying him, brow furrowed. “I’m sorry I didn’t believe you.”

“Hey, it’s… Listen, I don’t blame you, Scully. I know this has all been more than a little hard to swallow. Believe me. Every time I walk by a mirror with this--” He gestured to his reflection in the rear view mirror. “--with someone else’s face looking back at me… You know, I don’t wanna sound vain, but I’m pretty sure old Morris got the better end of this deal.”

That got a smile out of her, at least. 

She shook her head, still grinning. “Wait til you see your apartment.”

“Oh no, are my fish okay?”

She laughed, then, and he couldn’t believe how much he’d missed it, even after just a couple of days. 

“They’re fine, it’s just… Mulder, I’m not proud of how long it took me to realize what was going on. I was about ready to drag you in for an MRI. Some sort of delayed-effect brain trauma from your trip out to the _Queen Anne_ was the only thing I could think of to account for your dramatic change in behavior. Only it wasn’t you at all--”

“Well, you believe it now, and that’s all that matters. Now how do we fix things?”

“I don’t know, that’s why we’re here. Fletcher is in there now meeting with your source. I’m hoping he will have some answers for us, some way to switch you back. What are _you_ doing here?”

He grimaced. “I’m on a date with my ‘wife.’” Her eyebrows shot up, and he shrugged, not wanting to touch _that_ whole situation with a ten-foot pole. “Well, I was, until some guys from the base came looking for me, so I ducked out of there. She thinks I’m in the bathroom right now.”

“And you ran out here? Are they really that dangerous?”

“Well they certainly don’t trust me. Morris. Whatever.” He shook his head. “I’ve been under surveillance since they let me out of lock-up this morning. The flight data recorder I handed off to you last night turned out to be a plant, mislabeled as the one from the crash.” He shook his head. “All that trouble, and I didn’t even give you anything useful. Anyway, the general cut me loose, told everyone I’d brilliantly put one over on the FBI, which really pissed off a couple of the guys, but I get the feeling General Wegman knows a hell of a lot more about all of this than he’s saying. I wouldn’t be surprised if _he_ turns out to be the one who swapped out the real data recorder.”

“You think a _general_ is the mole inside Area 51?”

Her tone was skeptical, as if _that_ were the most unbelievable part of this whole mess, and he laughed right out loud. Pretty soon, she was laughing too, and for a minute he could almost pretend everything was normal again.

The minute passed, and he looked back toward the bar with a resigned sigh. “Guess I’d better head back in. I’ll get a look at who Morris is talking to and then see what I can do to follow up on my own, try to get some answers.”

He turned to get out of the car, pausing when Scully put a hand on his arm.

“We _will_ fix this, Mulder. I don’t know how, but I’ll do whatever it takes.”

He smiled, shoving aside the horrible thought that it might not matter what anyone did, that fixing things could well be physically impossible. He chose instead to focus on the earnestness in her face, taking comfort in the fact that if anyone could find a way to save him, it would be her. “Believe me, Scully, you won’t be the only one. I don’t want to spend any more time stuck in this guy’s life than I have to.”


End file.
